The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced a stark reminder of the dangers on provincial roads, revealing that their annual holiday crackdown led to the removal of 766 impaired drivers from traffic. The Festive Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) campaign ran from November 20, 2025, to January 1, 2026, deploying officers for a massive enforcement effort.
Province-Wide Enforcement Effort
During the campaign period, OPP officers dedicated over 20,000 hours to road safety, conducting more than 11,000 RIDE checkpoints across Ontario. In addition to criminal charges, police issued 150 immediate roadside suspensions. These suspensions targeted drivers who registered in the "warn" range for blood-alcohol concentration or were part of zero-tolerance classes, including young, novice, and commercial drivers who must have no alcohol or drugs in their system.
Central Region Sees Significant Charges
A detailed breakdown from the OPP's Central Region highlights the scale of the problem in one area. Central Region officers, covering 13 detachments such as Caledon, Collingwood, Huntsville, and Orillia, conducted 1,916 spot checks over 3,500 hours. Their efforts resulted in 179 drivers facing a combined 288 impaired driving-related charges. Furthermore, 28 "warn" range suspensions were issued in the region.
Central Region Supt. Coyer Yateman emphasized the campaign's critical role, stating, "Impaired driving is not acceptable, period. Removing over 200 impaired drivers during this campaign is both significant and deeply concerning. Every one of those drivers represents a potential tragedy we prevented."
Regional Police Forces Report Similar Trends
The results from other municipal police services mirrored the OPP's findings, indicating a widespread issue:
- Durham Regional Police stopped more than 12,000 vehicles, charging 85 drivers with 119 offences. Their impaired driving arrest rate was 0.69%, a slight increase from 0.65% in 2024. RIDE lead Sgt. Greg Carroll noted that just over 1% of stopped drivers faced either a criminal charge or a licence suspension, stressing that "each impaired driver puts lives at risk."
- Peel Regional Police charged 101 people with impaired driving during their seasonal campaign (down from 126 in 2024). Their officers conducted 6,443 roadside screen tests and inspected over 16,000 vehicles.
The collective data from multiple police jurisdictions underscores a persistent public safety challenge. Despite repeated warnings and high-visibility enforcement campaigns, a significant number of drivers continue to choose to get behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol or drugs. The OPP and regional services reaffirm that this behaviour is dangerous, preventable, and will continue to be met with strict enforcement to protect all road users.
